Vanity case and other containers



April 1940- J. KREISLER 2,196,801

VANITX CASE AND OTHER CONTAINEKS I Filed March 23, 1937 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR acques KRE/sLE/z BY: I Z

VATTORNEY April 9, 1940. J 's 2,196,801

VANITY CASE AND OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Maich 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 8 IL INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1940 2,196,801 VANITY CASE AND OTHER-CONTAINERS New York, N.' Y.

UNITED T S ."PATENT i ()FFICE I I Jacques Kreisler, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignor to; v I f Jacques Kreisler Manufacturing Corporation,

-Application March 23, 1937, Serial No. 132,567

This invention relates to containers and more particularly to sheet metal containers intended primarily for use as vanity; cases or compacts,

although the invention may be applied to other "5 containers as, for example, cigarette cases, purses,

etc.

One object of the invention is to provide a container of novel and ornamental appearance.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a container of the classdescribedwith im-' proved closure means designed to be securely held in closed position and readily and conveniently opened.- I

, H A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the class described simulating the appearance of an envelope and further to provide means for releasably securing the envelope-flap simulating part of the container in closed position.

A yet further object is generally to provide a 30 bodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vanity case showing the cover inpartially open position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the caseshowing the cover in fully open position;

35 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the body portion of the container and part of the cover, with parts removed;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the powder tray and rouge compartment frame removed from the 40 container;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6 .of Fig. 1; H

Fig. 6a'is a sectional view on the line lid-6a of Fig. 2; A 45 Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-1 :of Fi 4; I

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fi 1 Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on-the line 99 '50 of Fig. 8; v

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line lB--l0- of Fig. 1 showing a modification;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the latch utilized "in the form of the invention illustrated in Figslll.

55 Referring to the drawings in detail, the container l0, here shown as a vanity case, 'cons'tructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a body portion I 2, within which is apowder tray and rouge compartment frame [4 is "positioned and secured, and a hinged cover com 5 prising a main cover part [6 and an auxiliary coverpartor flap l 8 which is hinged to said main cover part It. Said case is preferably made of suitable sheet metal, by stamping and bending operations. -A mirror is mounted in-cover member I6 and is secured therein by a metal frame 22. As illustrated in Fig. 1, when the contain er is closed, cover member It covers theopen side of the body portion 12 and the cover part l8 folds over and overlies the opposite side of said body portion; Said cover part I8 is releasably secured in closed position by a catch 26 which projects through an opening 2'! in the body of the case for releasable. engagement with a latch 28 formed on a movable latch member 39. As here shown the case In simulates the appearance 'of "an envelope, the cover member l8 having the shape of a closure flap and the outer surface of the body I2 having groove 32 which outlines the side and bottom flaps of an envelope;

I The-part of the body 12 which underlies the cover flap I 8 in the closed position of the latter is pressed inwardlyto'form a recess conform;- ing substantially in size and shape to said flap so that when the latter is closed the outer {surface thereof lies substantiallyhflush with thefouter surface of the body I2, I The frame M, which is made of a sheet metal stamping, comprises a powder tray 36 and a rouge compartment 38. A cover 40 for the powder'tray L I '36 is 'hingedto the top of the frame M by a spring hinge 42 of conventional construction which tends to move said cover to open position. Cover lll is provided with a recess4l for a powder puff (not shown). Said cover is held in closed positionby a catch which is releasably engaged by a latch 46. Said latch is formed 'on a spring metal strip 48 which has a folded portion 50. Said stripincluding its foldedportion is' riveted adjacent one end 52 thereof to a down turned'inner wallportion'54 of the frame Id. The other end 56 of strip 48 is reflexed inwardly for sliding engagement with a side wall 58 of the powder tray over a nib 60 outwardly pressedtherefrom. A part of strip 48 adjacent said reflexed end 58 is slit and formed into a spring finger 62 which bears on the inner surface of the-bottom' wall of the body portion l2 ands'erves to hold the latch 46 against the under surface ofthe top'of frame M in proper position adjacent the opening 54 through which the-cover 5 8 catch 44 projects. The folded strip portion has a refiexed free end 66 which engages the strip 48 adjacent latch 46. A finger piece 68 is secured to strip 50 adjacent said refiexed end portion 66 and projects through a recess l6 formed. in the front side wall of frame I 4., When said frame is mounted within the body I2 said finger piece 68 projects through the opening I2 in the front side wall of body portion I2. It will be observed that the relationship of the parts is such that when the finger piece 68 is pressed inwardly through the opening 72 and recess Ill, the reflexed end 66 of the strip portion 56 presses against the spring strip 48 adjacent the latch 46 thereby moving said latch out of engagement with cover catch 44 and thus permitting the spring hinge 42 to move cover 40 to open position.

The latch member 30 is positioned between the bottom of the powder tray 36 and the inner surface of the bottom of the body portion I2. Said latch member 36 is made of sheet metal and the latch 28 carried thereby is formed integral therewith by being pressed outwardly therefrom, and a. small opening I4 is formed through which the catch 26 projects for engagement with latch 28. One end portion I6 of latch member 30 is bent into tubular eyelet formation around a metal pin I8 secured therein. Said end portion I6 constitutes a finger piece for moving the latch member 36 to release the latch 28 from engagement with catch 26 on cover flap I8. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, finger piece I6 lies between the hinged side edges of the body I2 and cover I6 and appears as part of the hinge between said body and cover. For this purpose the body I2 is provided at its hinge edge with a recess 86 and the cover member I6 is provided with a companion recess 82, said recesses being formed between the hinge-eyelet portions 84 and 86 on the body I2 and on the cover member I6, respectively. The body I2 also has another hinge-eye1et'88 and the cover member I6 also has another hinge-eyelet 90. When the parts are assembled, the latch member 30 is positioned as illustrated in Fig. 4

; with one end of the finger piece I6 abutting the,

adjacent end of the hinge-eyelet 84 on the body I2. One of the hinge-eyelets 86 on the cover member I6 is received in the recess between the hinge-eyelets 84 and 88 while the other hingeeyelet 86 on the cover member I6 is received between the other hinge-eyelet 84 on the body I2 and the adjacent end of the finger piece E6 of latch member 36. Said last mentioned hingeeyelet 84 is, of course, received in the recess between the hinge-eyelets 86 and 96 of the cover I6. The body I2 and cover member I6 as thus assembled are held in pivotal relation by a pivot pin 92 which extends through the hinge-eyelets 9U, 84, and 86 and terminates at the adjacent side edge of the finger piece I6 and by a pivot, pin 94 which extends through the eyelets 83, 86, and 84 and terminates at the other side edge of said finger piece.

The latch member 36 is held in projected position by a spring 66 for engagement of latch 28 with cover catch 26. The said spring is U shaped as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and is mounted Within frame I4 between the inner and outer side wall portions thereof. An outwardly oifset portion 68 is formed midway between the intermediate side of said spring and projects through a recess I60 formed in the rear side wall of the frame for engagement with the upwardly ofiset portion I62 of latch member 36. Thus spring 96 holds the latch member 36 in projected position with the finger piece I6 in alignment with the hinge-eyelets and with the latch 28 in position to engage the cover catch 28 but allows movement of latch member 30 to retracted position for releasing said catch.

It will be observed that the frame I4 having the latch member 48 and the spring 66 assembled therewith may be inserted as a unit within the body I2 after the latch member 30 is positioned as described above and as illustrated in Fig. 4. The front and rear side edges of frame I4 are curved inwardly and outwardly as indicated at I04 for removable snap engagement with the adjacent edges of I66 of the body I2 for securing said frame within the body of the case.

It will be understood that when the cover flap I8 is in closed position with the catch 26 thereof engaged by the latch 28, said cover flap is placed under stress by reason of the slight difference in curvature between the contacting surfaces of the body and cover flap adjacent the hinge portion I9 of the latter. On this account the cover flap I8 tends to move to open position but is restrained against such movement by the engagement of catch 26 with latch 28. However, when said catch is released the cover flap I8 automatically moves to open position which is illus trated in Fig. 2. With the cover fiap I8 thus opened the cover member I6 may be moved to uncover the body of the catch for access to the powder and rouge compartments, as illustrated in Fig. 3, access to the powder compartment being obtained by actuating the push-piece 68 to release the cover 40 from the latch 46.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, the spring 96 is dispensed with and in lieu thereof a latch member I30 is provided with integral spring arms I32 which engage the side wall of the powder tray for normally retaining the catch I28 in releasable engagement with the cover catch 26 and with the push-piece I34 in alignment with the hinge eyelets as in the construction illustrated in Fig. 1.

Thus it is seen that the constructions herein shown and. described are well adapted to accompany the objects of the present invention. It will be understood, however, that the invention may be embodied otherwise than here shown and that in the embodiments illustrated certain changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to either of the constructions herein disclosed except as may be required by the appended claims considered with reference to the prior art. I

. What I claim and desireto secure by Letters ,Patent is:

1. A. container comprising a body portion, a cover therefor hinged at one side edge thereof to one side edge of said body portion and, inclosed position, overlying the open side of said body portion and having a part extending beyond the opposite edge and overlying the opposite side of said'body portion, means for releasably securing 'said part in said overlying position thereby ,to

hold the cover releasably in closed position, said opposite side having an aperture therethrough', a latch member in said body portion having a latch element adjacent said aperture, a catch on said part projecting through said aperture in engagement with said latch element for holding said part in'said cover-closed position, and spring means in engagement with said latch member for holding said latch element in releasable engagement with said catch, and a push piece carriedby said latch member and movable between said side edges of the body portion and cover for moving the latch member to release said catch, said push piece being accessible externally of the container. I

2. A container comprising a body portion, a cover therefor hinged at one side edge thereof to one side edge of said body portion and, in closed position, overlying the open side of said body portion and having a part extending beyond the opposite edge and overlying the opposite side of said body portion, means for releasably securing said part in said overlying position thereby to hold the cover releasably in closed position, said opposite side having an aperture therethrough, a latch member and said body portion having a latch element adjacent said aperture, a catch on said part projecting through said aperture in engagement with said latch element for holding said partsin said cover closed position, and a U shaped spring in engagement with said latch member for holding said latch element in releasable engagement with said catch.

3. A container comprising a body portion, a cover therefor hinged at one side edge thereof to one side edge of said body portion and, in closed position, overlying the open side of said body portion and having a part extending beyond the opposite edge and overlying the opposite side of said body portion, means for releasably,

securingsaid part in said overlying position there-, by tohold the cover releasably'in closed position, said opposite side having an aperture therethrough, a latch member in said body portion having a latch element adjacent said aperture, a catch on said part projecting through said aperture in engagement with said latch element for holding said parts in said cover closed position,

and spring means integral with said latch member and engaging a part of the container internally thereof forv holding said latch element inreleasable engagement with said catch.

4. A container comprising a body portion having a. compartment therein, a cover for said compertinent, latch means for releasably securing said cover in closed position, means for releasing said latch means movably mounted in one side wall of said body portion, said side wall having an opening through which a part of said latch releasing means projects, a second cover hinged to the opposite side wall of said body portion and having a part overlying said opening and said latch releasing means of said first cover when said second cover is in closed position whereby said second cover must be moved to open position before said latch releasing means can be actuated,

and-means for releasably securing said second cover in closed position.

I JACQUES KREISLER. 

